Millions of Muslims gather in the Saudi city of Mecca to perform the Hajj

Millions of pilgrims have arrived in Mecca for Islam's annual Hajj pilgrimage with Saudi authorities warning they will stop any disruptive protests over the conflict in Syria. The Grand Mosque, the focal point of the Islamic faith, was already teeming with joyful pilgrims at dawn on Monday, wearing the simple white folds of cloth prescribed for hajj, many of them having slept on the white marble paving outside.Picture: Rex Features